Calculating machines



Oct. 15, 1957 F. E. WOODLEY ETAL 9,

CALCULATING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Oct. 15, 1957 F. E. WOODLEY a-rm. 2,809,788

CALCULATING MACHINES Filed June 21, 1954 3' Sheets-Sheet 5 I L72 1 52 8 7 4 i 35 12 W i 1- -:\\\\\'m'. Q 55 uul IN DIIL f- INVENTOR RJEKD WOODLEY ('0 UN L. C wpaELL United States Patent CALCULATING MACHINES Fred E. Woodley, Desert Springs, and (lolin L. Campbell, Fontana, Calif.

Application June 21, 1954, Serial No. 438,147

16 Claims. (Cl. 235-145) This invention relates to improvements in calculating machines.

Gne obiect of the invention is to provide, in a key set type of calculating or similar machine, a plurality of amount or value keys each having, in addition to its normal or inactive position, two different, optionally settable positions, said two positions corresponding to two different amounts or values to be entered into the machine.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a calculating machine having a plurality of banks or orders of settable amount or value keys, a plurality of keys in each bank having each, two, selectively settable, differentamount of value-determining positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a machine having cyclically operable actuating means and a plural or multi-order keyboard utilizing the decimal system of registration, a set of only five value keys per order for determining the customary nine different values to be entered into the registering means and wherein four keys of a set have each two different value settable positions and the fifth key of the set a single settable value position whereby any value from 1 to 9 may be set up by a single operation of one key only.

Other objects of the invention will more clearly appear from the description and claims following when considered in connection with the drawings.

in said drawings, Fig. 1 is a top plan of a calculating machine showing one embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view corresponding substantially to the section line 2-2 of Fig. 1, parts being broken away and others omitted to better illustrate the features of novelty, all keys and associated parts being in normal or inactive, unset positions. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but upon a larger scale and illustrating the condition of the parts with one of the value keys depressed and set or latched in its first or initial set value condition. Fig. 4 is a broken, sectional view of those portions immediately adjacent the set key of Fig. 3 but illustrating said key and related parts in the second, deeper settable value position of the key. Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged, detail sectional views corresponding, respectively, to the section lines 5-5; 6-6; and 7-7 of Fig. 2. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of one order of the machine corresponding substantially to the section line 8-8 of Fig. 2. Figs. 9 and 10 are broken, detailed perspectives of the cooperating portions of the key stems and stop bar corresponding to those keys illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7, respectively. Fig. 11 is a view similer to Figs. 9 and 10 but illustrating the corresponding cooperative portions of the stop bar and stems of each of the two right hand keys of Figs. 2 and 3. And Fig. 12 is a detail, sectional view corresponding to section line 12-12 of Fig. 8, parts being broken away.

The invention illustrated in the drawings has been shown as incorporated in a calculating machine of the general type shown in United States patent to Horton, 1,853,050 of April 12, 1932, to which reference should 2,809,788 Patented Oct. 15, 1957 2 be had for a better understanding of certain features of the calculating machine that are not deemed necessary to illustrate or describe in detail in the present application, such as the registering means, type recording means, cyclic-actuating means, power driving means, etc.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, the machine is shown as provided with the usual plus and minus bars, control keys for total, sub-total, repeat, non-add and error, as labeled. Type bars 264, platen 266, housings 337 for the ribbon spools and shaft knob 326 for effecting manual feed of the recording paper strip are also indicated.

As evident from Fig. 1, the active or value-key area of the multi-order keyboard of the present invention is only approximately 60% of that of the area of an equal capacity machine utilizing the decimal system of registration and the usual nine keys per order for registering values from i to 9 per order. Obviously, corresponding reductions in the active keyboard areas would obtain if modified for other value type registrations such as sterling currency.

As shown, each order or bank of the machine embodying the present invention has five value or amount keys referenced 21, 23, 25, 27 and 29, as indicated. The finger buttons of the keys referenced 21 are shown as provided with the indicated values 1 and 2"; keys 23 with values 3 and 4; keys 25 with values 5 and 6; keys 27 with values "7 and 8; and keys 29 with the single value of 9. The stems of the several keys, hereinafter specifically described, are suitably slidably guided as by aligned slots in the spaced upper and lower keyboard plates 39 and 31. The latter are held in spaced relation preferably by laterally separated vertical plates 32-32 and screws 132-132, the plates 32-32 being attached to fixed members of the machine framework, as will be understood.

Inasmuch as the arrangement of parts of each order of the machine is similar, a detailed description for the parts of one order will be sufficient.

Referring to Figs. 2 to 7, it will be seen that all key stems 125, 127 and 129 are sufficiently elongated to provide for a circular recess or opening 33 therein which is normally disposed slightly below the plate 30 for reception of an extensible coil spring 34, the latter being attached at its ends to transversely extended rods 35 and 36, the spring being supported at spaced intervals by pressed out loops 37-37 on plate 30 in a well known manner to thereby automatically hold all keys in their normal unset or functionally inoperative position and to automatically restore a set key upon being released from a functionally operative set or latched position.

Each of the dual value key stems and 127 is provided with two lower, parallel and vertically elongated slots 38 and 39. Single value key stem 129 is provided also with two lower, parallel vertical but shorter slots 138 and 139, as best illustrated in Fig. 5. The slots 38 and 138 have extending 'therethrough a latch plate 40, and the slots 39 and 139 a zero stop control plate 41 therethrough. Again referring to fig. 5, the single value key stem 129 has also two parallel, relatively short slots 238 and 239, immediately above the slots 138 and 139, and the dual value key stems 125 and 127 have each two sets of vertically extending, parallel short slots 338-438 and 339-439 above the respective lower slots 38 and 39. At this point it may be noted that the slotted formations of the stems 127 and 125 of the dual value keys 27 and 25 are the same also for the dual value keys 23 and 21.

:Referring now to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and l2, the latch plate 40 is shown provided with four, relatively vertically elongated extensions 140 uniformly spaced to cooperate with the stems of the dual value keys 21, 23, 25 and 27 and also with a shorter vertical extension 246 to cooperate with the stem of single value key 2?. Each said extension 14%) is provided with a nose 14% having an upper beveled cam edge 1463 and extension 240 is similarly provided with a nose 24% having a beveled cam edge 249*. The nose 24% is normally partially disposed within slot 138 and all noses 14d are normally partially disposed within the latch slots 38, the respective cam edges 244t and 1% being located near the tops of their corresponding slots beneath and adjacent the cross portions 138 and 33, respectively, of the key stems. At its front end, the latch plate 40 has pivotally connected thereto at 43, the upper arm of a bail 44 pivotally mounted on a fixed rod 122 extending transversely of the machine. The lower arm of said nail is forked as indicated at 144 to loosely straddle a control rod 191, the latter being swingingly hung from cross rod 122 and adapted to be oscillated for a limited distance during a cyclic operation of the actuating means as will be understood. The forked arm of the bail 144- is normally held against control rod 191 by a tension spring 45 attached to the inner arm of the bail fork and to a fixed transversely extending comb 232.

With the latch construction described, it will be evident that, when any key is suiilciently depressed from its normal inoperative position, the corresponding latch extension 14% or as the case may be, will have its cam edge 14-9 or Edd forced rearwardly against the tension of spring 35. in the case of single value key 2), as soon as the cross portion 138 has passed beyond the tip end of nose 240, the nose will automatically be projected into slot 233 under influence of spring 45 thereby hooking over cross portion 138 and latching key 29 in its one and only settable position since it cannot be further depressed because of engagement with the main portion of the latch bar. Similarly, depression of any dual value key for a limited primary movement will cause the corresponding nose 140 thereof to hook over the lower cross portion 38 of the key stern, thereby retaining the key and stem in the primary settable position. Should the key be still further depressed, as in Fig. 4, which is permissible because of the elongation of slot 38, the nose 140 will first be cammed out of slot 338 by the upper cross piece 33S of the key stern and then snapped back into the top slot 438 and hooked over cross piece 338 to thereby latch the key in its second latched functionally operative value position. As will be understood, depression of any key will automatically release any previously depressed latched key of the same order.

Referring now to the control plate 41, it also has four relatively long, vertically extending shoulders 410 and a shorter shoulder 411 uniformly spaced. The shoulder 411 cooperates with the single value key and the shoulders 410 with the remaining dual value keys, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Said shoulders all have front vertical edges and upper downwardly and forwardly inclined camming edges 410 and 411 respectively. The normal position of the plate 41 is that shown in Fig. 2 where no key is depressed and where the shoulders 410 and 411 are partially disposed within the key stern lower slots 3% and 139, respectively. The control plate 41 is normally urged forwardly by a tension spring 46 attached to the rear end of the plate and to a fixed supplemental top plate 31 and limited in its forward movement by a short, vertically extending shoulder 47 engaging a cross rod 48. As in the case of the latch plate 40, so will the control plate 41 be cammed rearwardly upon depression of any key by reason of the cross pieces 39* of the dual value keys and cross piece 139 of the single value key engaging the respective cam edges 410 and 4111. When control plate 41 has been cammed backwardly from its normal position by depression of a key, it cannot then return to normal so long as the depressed key remains latched since the adjacent shoulder 411 or 410, as the case may be, will have its from vertical edge restrained by the re- 4 spective cross piece 139 of key 29 or cross piece 35 of any of the other keys latched in the first depressed latched position or cross piece 33) if latched in the second or lowest position.

The control plate 41 governs the position of the zero stop lever for the associated stop bar 233, hereinafter described. For this purpose, a bell crank zero stop member is provided having an upper short arm i) pivotally connected to plate 41 by pin 5% and a lower elongated arm 51 normally positioned as shown in Fig. 2 where the flanged end 52 of arm 53 is opposite and in engagement with the end 53 of the lower arm 54- of the forked front end of stop bar 233. The bell crank 49-51 is pivotally supported on fixed rod 122, preferably by an integral ball 55. With no key of an order depressed, as shown in Fig. 2, the stop bar 233 cannot be actuated to the right as will be evident. When, however, any key of an order is latched in a depressed position, the bell crank 4951 will be moved to the position shown in Fig. 3 out of the path of movement of stop bar and retained in such position because control plate 41 cannot return to normal as previously described. Restoration of the latch plate 40 and control plate 41 to normal occurs when the control rod 191 is oscillated by and during the end portion of a cyclic operation of the machine actuating means and after the stop bar in cooperation with the set key has been actuated, as follows. As rod 131 is moved to the right, as viewed in Fig. 3, the forked lever 44-144 first is swung so as to release the latch plate it? from the depressed key thereby allowing the latter to be restored to its normal inoperative position by spring 34; control plate 41 is then restored to its normal position by spring 46 and with it the zero stop lever; and, as rod 1% moves to the left, forked lever 44144 is urged clockwise thereby restoring the latch plate to normal, as will be understood.

In calculating machines of the general type disclosed herein, the differential action, as well known, is determined by the amount of travel of the stop bars permitted during a cyclic operation of the actuating means and such travel, for each order, is determined by the setting of the respective value keys. In the present improvement, setting and latching of the single value 9 key 29 displaces the zero stop bell crank lever 49-51 to the position shown in Fig. 3 so that the stop bar 233 is allowed its maximum stroke or travel when the corresponding actuating segment 235, through arm 234- pivotally attached to stop bar 233, is actuated during an actuating cycle, since the depressed key 29 does not interfere with or stop the stop bar 233. The forked front end 54 55 of the stop bar is slidably supported, guided and restrained against lateral and vertical movement by the fixed comb 232 in which the bar is mounted and is also limited, at its maximum amount of travel for the value 9, by engagement of the shoulder 233 at the inner end of the fork 54-55 with the comb plate 232.

To register the value 8 the dual value key 27 is depressed and latched in its first or primary settable position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3. As best shown in Figs. 6 and 9, the stem of key 27 is provided with two shoulders or stops 277 and 278 so arranged and located as to cooperate with stop bar shoulders 277 and 278, respectively. As evident, flange shoulder 27S is laterally extended from the main plane of the stop bar and is located farther from the comb 232 than is the shoulder 277 With the key set in its first or primary position, key shoulder 278 will engage with shoulder 278 and limit the movement of the stop bar 233 and hence that of actuator segment 235 accordingly, it being evident that shoulder 277* will pass key shoulder 277 during the 8 registration. When key 27 is depressed to its second or lowest settable position, then key shoulder 277 obviously lies in the path of stop bar shoulder 277 and will limit the movement of stop bar 233 and actuator segment for the amount or value of 7 as will be apparent. As here before described, the stems of dual value keys 21 and 23 for the values-1'and 2 for key 21 and values 3 and 4 for key. 23': are the same as that ofkey'27, and the corresponding respective cooperable-stop shoulders on the stop barare-similarexcept that, as shown in Fig. 11, the stop corresponding tot-shoulder. 278 previously described, is preferably first flanged outwardly and then upwardly as shown at .27 8

Referring next to dual value key and particularly Figs, 7 and 10, it will be-noted that the stem has a relatively elongated, downwardly extending stop shoulder 256. In-the primary or firstsettable latched position of key 25, theshoulder 256' will cooperate with the outwardly and upwardly flanged stop shoulder 256 for registeringthe value: 6 and, in thesecond lower settable latched position. of key 25, the same shoulder- 256 will cooperate withstop' bar shoulderx255 to register the value 5.

As will'beunderstood, the several sets of stop shoulders on the stop bar 233: are located at ditferentially spaced distances from their respective cooperable key stem shoulders to correspond to the registerable values 1 to 8 and the stop bar shoulder 233 to the value 9. It will also be noted that the stop shoulders 255 and 256 are disposed along the bottom of the stop bar so as to permit these shoulders to clear the stem of key 25 whenever the stop bar 233- iscalled upon to register values 7,

The structure hereinbefore described and shown is for purposes of illustration only and various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. Inv a calculating machine having registering means, cyclic actuating means and power applying means, the combination of a plurality of dual value-determining keys each having, in addition to its normal functionally inoperative position, two, optionally different, functionally operative, value-determining settable positions corresponding to two different values to be entered into the machine; means for latching said keys in either of their settable positions; and means for automatically releasing any set key upon a cyclic operation of the actuating means.

2. In a calculating machine having registering means, cyclic actuating means and power applying means, the combination, in an order of the machine, of a plurality of differing value-determining keys, a portion of which are of dual value character optionally settable in either of two functionally operative positions corresponding to two different values to be entered into the machine, and the remainder of single value character settable in only one functionally operative position corresponding to one value to be entered into the machine; means for latching said keys in functionally settable position; and means for automatically releasing any set value key upon a cyclic operation of the actuating means.

3. In a multi-order calculating machine having registering means, cyclic actuating means, power driving means and differential means, a plurality of value-determining keys in each order, means normally maintaining said keys in functionally inoperative position, certain of the keys of each order having each two, optionally different, functionally operative settable value-determining positions and the remainder only one functionally operative settable value-determining position means for temporarily latching said keys in functionally operative position to cooperate with the respective order differential means during a machine cyclic operation of the actuating means.

4. In a multi-order key-set calculating machine for registering values in accordance with the decimal system, five value-determining keys in each order of the machine for selectively, by the setting and latching of a single key only at any one time, determining ordinal values from 1 to 9, inclusive, to be registered, four of the keys in each order having each: two, optionally different value latchablepositions; and: the. fifth key' a single value latchable position and latching means cooperable with the keys wheninlatchable;positions.

51 In' a multi-order key-se-t'calculating machine having registering; means in accordance with the decimal'system and cyclic actuating means, the combination of five keys in each order of the machine. for selectively determining, by setting and latching of a single key only at one time, ordinal values 1 to 9, inclusive, to be entered into the machine, four of. said keys of each order having each two, optionally latchable, positions for the values 1 to 8 and the fifth key, a single latchable position for the value 9; means for latching saidkeys in set position; and means for releasing set keys upon a cyclic operation of the actuating means.

6. In a multi-order, key-set calculating machine having registering means and cyclic actuating means, a plurality of dual value keys and cooperable differential means for each order, each said key having two, optionally different', settable positions, said differential means cooperating with said keys in any set positions thereof in accordance with-the specific setting ofa key to effect entry into the machine of a value corresponding to the key and its specific setting; means for latching each of said keys in either of their settable positions; and means for releasing the latching means upon a cyclic operation of the actuating means.

7. In a multi-order, key-set calculating machine having decimal system registering means and cyclic actuating means, four dual value and one single value keys and cooperable differential means for each order, said single value key having one settable ordinal value-position and each of the four dual value keys having two, optionally different, settable ordinal value-positions, said differential means cooperating with the dual value keys in either set position thereof; means for latching said dual value keys in either of their settable positions and the single value key in its settable position; and means for releasing the latching means upon a cyclic operation of the actuating means.

8. In a multi-order, key-set calculating machine having registering means and cyclic actuating means, a plurality of dual value keys and a differential stop bar for each order, each said dual value key having two, optionally different, settable value-positions, the stop bar and said keys having cooperable dual sets of engageable stop shoulders, one set for each key-settable position whereby to determine the movement of the stop bar in accordance with the particular key and its particular setting, during an actuating cycle.

9. In a multi-order key-set calculating machine having decimal system registering means and cyclic actuating means, four dual and one single value keys and a differential stop bar for each order, said single value key having one settable ordinal value-position and each of said four dual value keys having two, optionally different, settable ordinal value-positions, said stop bar having a set of two, differentially spaced stop shoulders for each dual value key and cooperable therewith in accordance with the particular setting of the key; latching means for the keys; and releasing means for the latching means.

10. In a key set calculating machine, a keyboard comprising a plurality of orders, each order having: a plurality of dual value-determining keys, means normally urging said keys to and maintaining them in functionally inoperative position, key latching means, said latching means and keys having cooperable sets of shoulders operatively engageable in each of two, different, depressed functionally operative set, value-determing positions of the keys.

11. In a key-set calculating machine, a keyboard comprising a plurality of orders, each order having five depressible keys for effecting registration of any ordinal value from 1 to 9 upon depression of one key only, means normally urging said keys to and maintaining them in raised, inoperative position, a latch member cooperable With said keys, said member and one key having cooperable latching shoulders engageable in one only depressed settable position, said latch member and each of the remaining four keys having cooperable sets of shoulders operatively engageable in latching condition in each of two, different depressed settable positions of said keys.

12. In a key-set calculating machine, a keyboard comprising a plurality of orders, each order having five depressible keys for effecting registration of any ordinal value 1 to 9 upon depression of one key only, a movably mounted spring loaded latch member cooperable with said keys, said member and one key having cooperable latching shoulders engageable in one only depressed settable position of the key, said member and each of the remaining four keys having cooperable sets of shoulders operatively engageable in latching condition in each of two, different, depressed settable positions of said keys.

13. In a key-set calculating machine according to claim 11, cooperable means on the latch member and on each key for automatically releasing any previously latched key of the same order, when another key thereof is depressed and latched.

14. In a key-set calculating machine according to claim 12, a spring loaded zero-stop control bar movable longitudinally of each order and having means cooperable with each key of the order when latched in a permissible settable position to displace the control bar against the spring loading.

15. In a multi-order key-set calculating machine according to claim 9, zero-stop means associated with the stop bar of each order, a control bar for the zero-stop means of each order, said control bar having means cooperable with each key of the order when latched in a permissible settable position, to displace the Zero-stop means to thereby permit movement of the stop bar.

16. In a multi-order calculating machine having register means, cyclically operable actuating means and latch releasing means for all orders of the machine, the combination, in each order of the machine, of a plurality of value-determining keys and differential means cooperable therewith, means normally maintaining all said keys in functionally inoperative position, certain of said keys being of dual value character and the remainder of single value character, key latching means in each order com mon to all keys of an order, the dual value keys having means cooperable with their respective order-latching means to optionally retain said keys in either of two functionally different settable positions, the single "alue keys having means cooperable with their respective order-latching means for retaining said keys in one only functionally settable position, the keys and differential means of each order having cooperable formations, when the keys are latched in their respective functionally operative positions, for effecting registration of either of two different values, dependent upon the selected latched position, for dual value keys and efiecting registration of one value only for a latched single value key; and means for releasing all latched keys upon a cyclic operation of the actuating means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,046,513 Vincent et a1 Dec. 10, 1912 1,136,725 Shiek Apr. 20, 1915 1,526,871 Schuerman Feb. 17, 1925 2,646,927 Webb July 28, 1953 

